


Made of Thunder and Lightning

by IndigoSpell



Category: Avengers (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom, Thor (Comics), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 19:33:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15825498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IndigoSpell/pseuds/IndigoSpell
Summary: Rae hates how her body looks. Someone helps her to feel better about it…





	Made of Thunder and Lightning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flora_tyronelle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flora_tyronelle/gifts).



She stared at herself in the mirror for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning as she stood in her underwear. She traced her hands down her sides and across her hips, along the lines that had carved their way into her skin over the years. “Tiger stripes”, “lightning lines”; she’d heard a lot of names for them over the years but no matter how many different ways they were phrased, she still hated them littering her skin. The way they streaked down her stomach and sides. She slid her hands down further and squeezed the front of her thighs, then the outer parts, and finally, she pinched the inner parts. Sighing, she bit her lip to keep the tears she could feel welling up from spilling out. She turned away from the mirror before reaching to grab a jumper from her wardrobe. Days like these seemed to come more frequently and she longed for the days when she’d not cared what she looked like. When life was more about what she could do with it than what it had done to her. She was covered in reminders of what life had done to her; from the scar on her left knee where she’d fallen out of a tree when she was 10, to the dent of a chicken pox scar on her upper right cheek. 

Her watch beeped: another reminder, this time of her impending work day, and also of the date she had that night. She took a shaky breath to steady herself before putting her arms into the jumper and shimmying into a pair of trousers. Finalising her outfit and crossing back to the mirror to brush her hair, she glanced down once again at her now clothed lower half. Her phone rang then, knocking her out of her trance and back into reality. Work. She had started as a receptionist at Stark Tower about 6 months ago and had grown to love her new, if slightly hectic, job. Casting one last look at her reflection before she left, her eyes drifted further into her flat and towards the window. Looking out of it, she saw the clouds becoming increasingly grey and the sky darkening. She picked up her watch from on top of her bed, grabbed her phone and keys, and pulled an umbrella out of the stand by the front door. Her watch beeped again as she locked up and headed to work.

No sooner had she logged on to her computer and opened her emails than the boss himself strode into the building, heading for the lift. Tony nodded at her as he passed and then appeared to reconsider, turning on his heel and walking towards her desk.   
“Good morning, Rae, and how are you on this fine morning?”  
She snorted as she jerked her head towards the door and the ever-decreasing visibility of the ground.   
“I’m fine, Mr Stark, but I'm not sure I'd call this morning fine.”  
He laughed and nodded his head, musing.   
“Good point. I have a feeling I know why it's like that though. Although the day is always brightened by seeing you, my dear.”  
“Mr Stark,” she smiled, lighting up her eyes. This was Tony's daily greeting and she'd grown used to his banter. If she didn’t know better, she’d almost call it flirting. “Don’t you have a girlfriend?”  
“No, actually.” He paused. “I have a wife.” He couldn’t hide the look of pride that appeared in his eyes as he thought of Pepper. Coughing, he smiled down at her and motioned toward the lift doors. “Well, I'd better go and work for a living. Carry on, Rae.”  
“See you later, Mr Stark.”  
“Always a pleasure talking to you, Rae,” he said as he walked backwards away from her. “You keep me on the straight and narrow.”  
“I’m pretty sure Miss Potts had that covered long before I did,” she called.  
“She did,” he replied loudly before disappearing into the lift.

It seemed mere minutes before someone else strode towards her desk.   
“Good morning, Lady Rae,” came a booming voice.  
“Morning, Thor,” she smiled as she looked up from her typing. “Weather’s kinda crazy today, huh?”  
He ducked his head but she could see the sides of his mouth curling upwards.  
“Sorry,” he chuckled. “How are you today?”  
“Can’t complain. Date tonight!”  
“A lucky person,” he nodded.  
She blushed, feeling the heat spread across her face.  
“Well, I wish you luck, but Stark needs me today so I must be off.”  
“Have fun,” she waved after him as he headed for the lift.  
“Always.”

By the time 5pm came around, she could barely sit still in her seat. Adjusting herself in her chair once more, she gave a final check to her emails before logging off, grabbing her umbrella and almost running out the door. She checked her watch as she stepped outside the building: an hour to go. She looked up at the sky to see that it was clear and brightening. It was a welcome change from this morning.   
‘So much for the umbrella,’ she thought as she headed back to her flat to get ready for her date.

Pulling down her dress for the fifth time since she’d left the flat, she walked slowly up to the doors of the restaurant. She opened them and moved to the podium where she was greeted by a waiter.   
“Umm, I’m meeting someone called Alex,” she told him with a shaky voice.   
The waiter seemed to sense her nervousness and looked her over, eventually meeting her eyes with a big smile.   
“Of course, miss. Your table is over here and you look lovely!”  
Her face softened as she wrung her hands.   
“Right this way,” he motioned, leading her to a small table that was already half occupied.   
Her date had arrived before her and she walked round to sit down as the waiter left. Alex didn’t even look at her as she pulled the seat out from under the table and perched herself on the end of it. Looking up from his phone, she was shocked to see the look of what she could only describe as disgust cross his features. He appeared to compose himself before saying “well, I’m not made of money so I hope you ate before you came out. I can only afford so much.”  
Swallowing, she tried to speak but nothing came out. She could feel her eyes pricking with tears. Alex clicked his fingers in the air and the waiter from before glanced up, a frown marring his face. Alex clicked again and the waiter came over to them. Pushing back his look of annoyance, the waiter plastered on a smile and turned to Alex.  
“What can I get for you tonight?”  
“I’ll have the fillet steak with garlic butter and a red wine. She will have the Caesar salad and a glass of water.”  
She made to speak again and the waiter’s face softened as his eyes met hers.  
“Is that alright with you, miss?”  
Running a finger under her left eye, she made to answer him but Alex snapped.  
“Yes, yes, that’s fine. Come now, I don’t have all night.”  
She watched as the waiter visibly steadied himself before turning back to Alex.  
“Of course. I’ll bring everything out as soon as it’s ready.”

The rest of the evening seemed to drag as though time had stopped. She sat and listened to Alex drone on and on about his important banking job in the city, not once thinking to ask her opinion or care to ask about her life. The waiter returned with their food about twenty minutes into his conversation on the best loans.  
“Steak and a Caesar salad,” he smiled at her, placing the food down on the table.  
She nodded cautiously, now trying to do everything she could to just finish the evening without crying. Reaching for her fork, she ran it through the salad, only vaguely aware of Alex’s voice now. She speared a piece of lettuce and ate it slowly, as though to make as little noise as possible. As though she could make Alex forget she was there. As though she could make herself forget that she was there. She cringed as she heard the scraping of cutlery on china every time Alex cut another piece of his steak, pointing his knife at her as he made another point. Glancing at her watch as discreetly as possible, she tried to make an excuse to leave. Alex; however, beat her to it.   
“Well, I must be up for work in the morning. Important business, you see, very important business.”  
He stood up, dropped a $50 bill on the table and turned on his heel. A small noise from her seemed to remind him that she was there. He walked back over to her, a smarmy smile on his lips as his next words dripped from them like poison.  
“I wouldn’t expect a second date, my dear.” He gestured towards her, waving his hand carelessly. “I guess it goes to show that you should never believe what you see on dating profiles. I trust you can find your own way home.”  
With that, he spun with almost a flourish and headed for the door without a glance back. It was then that the tears she had managed to hold back for the night spilled over. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her and she ran from the restaurant. It was only when she was safely back in her flat and collapsed on her bed that she let the sobs wrack her body.

She awoke the next morning to her alarm clock blaring. She ran a hand over her face, feeling the dried tears on her cheeks and tracing them down her chin. Turning off her alarm clock, she padded to the bathroom. Stripping off the clothes from the night before, she stepped into the shower and let the true weight of last night hit her. How could she have been so stupid? Of course, a guy like that would never have gone for a girl like her but did he have to be so cruel about it? Confirming all her worst fears in just a few words. She heard her watch beep faintly from the other side of the bathroom door as she switched off the water and grabbed her towel from the back of the door. Half an hour before work. She tried to slow her breathing while she dried herself off and walked back into her bedroom. Knowing she would never leave if she looked in the mirror, she ran her fingers through her hair to make it somewhat smooth. She grabbed the first outfit she could find and snatched up her phone and keys before wrestling her watch onto her wrist. It beeped again and she headed out the door.

She shuffled into work, her head bowed as she sat at her desk. She sniffed and rubbed her eyes self-consciously before logging on to the computer and checking her emails as she did every morning. The low clattering of her keyboard and the blood she could hear rushing through her ears meant that she didn’t hear Tony walk up to her desk. He’d been leaning against the wall, watching her run her hand underneath her nose and sniff every couple of minutes.   
“You alright there, Rae?”  
“Always, Mr Stark,” her voice was almost a whisper but he heard it.  
Tony nodded but the look in his eyes told her he didn’t believe her in the slightest.  
“I’ll see you later,” he smiled softly, his eyes crinkling at the sides.  
“See you,” she sighed.

A few emails later and she heard a crack of thunder. She turned around to watch the ground darkening as grey clouds began to once again cover the sky. Frowning slightly, she muttered ‘bloody pathetic fallacy’ and tried to carry on with her work. She was immediately cut off by a loud voice from across the room.   
“Lady Rae!”  
She swallowed and scrubbed at her face, sure he could see the red rims around her eyes from her night of crying. Thor’s smile almost mirrored Tony’s as he strode towards her.  
“Good morning, Thor,” she said quietly. “How are you?”  
“I am well, little one. And what about you? How was your date last night?”  
Her emotions betrayed her then as the tears she had tried so hard to hold in for the remainder of the workday spilled over and she slumped forward, desperately reaching for a tissue inside her desk. Seeing her distress, Thor immediately scooted round her desk in order to catch her in his arms. She held onto him tightly as sobs wracked her body. He rubbed her back soothingly but said nothing. He held her as she let out all the pain she had. He held her as she tried to force herself to breathe right. He held her as her sobs started to fade away and she was hiccupping and sniffing. Taking one arm from around her, he reached onto her desk to find the packet of tissues she had discarded and passed it to her. She sniffed again before gulping and taking it. He continued to rub circles on her back as she regained her composure and wiped her eyes.  
“There now, little one. It’s okay. I’ve got you.”  
“Why are you,” she coughed. “Being so nice to me?”  
He frowned and she felt his body tense as he pulled away so that he could crouch in front of her. She tried to cover her face with her hands but he held onto them.  
“What do you mean?” he asked, confused.  
“I mean,” she wiped at her eyes again and took a deep breath. “What did I do to deserve you being so nice to me? How can you hold me when I look like this? How can you be so nice to me when I’m nothing at all?”  
He waited for her to finish before speaking.  
“What makes you think that?” he asked, shocked.  
“Well, look at me,” she said, letting her head droop and letting go of his hands.  
His eyes followed her gaze downwards as she continued.  
“You really want to know how the date went last night?” her eyes appeared to spark back to life but with an anger in them.  
Thor nodded, slowly, helping her back onto her chair and brushing the hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. She didn’t look at him as she told her story.  
“He was disgusted by me. And why wouldn’t he be?”  
She glanced up for a second and could swear that she saw his eyes flashing bright blue.  
“I mean, I’ve got thunder thighs, lightning lines and I’m just,” she paused. “I’m just…”  
She couldn’t think of a way to end the sentence that didn’t set her teeth on edge or her heart aching. 

There was silence between them as he mulled over her words.  
“Lightning lines?”   
A flash went off behind them as she noticed droplets knocking on the window. Shame she’d forgotten her umbrella this morning, she realised.  
“Thunder thighs?” he mused, smiling softly as he ran the words over in his mind. “I like that.”  
She repressed the urge to roll her eyes as she took in his expression. He carried on.  
“And you must be truly blessed to have received such gifts.”   
She couldn’t find the nerve to speak but still managed to scoff at his casual usage of the words ‘blessed’ and ‘gifts’.   
Suddenly finding her voice, she replied sarcastically, “Sure, if you can call all this a gift, then I guess I am blessed.”  
She gestured over herself and huffed quietly.  
“I do not understand, little one. Do you not think these things are a gift?”   
“Not particularly.”   
Thor’s face dropped slightly, and she backed up hastily, afraid that her harsh words had hurt his feelings.  
“But it’s sweet that you’d say that.”   
“Of course.” He chuckled. “Asgardian women are known for their battle scars and these I would count among them.”   
He paused, holding out his hand for her to take. She obliged and stood up from her chair, while he let her hand go and looked her over. She shrunk visibly in his gaze before noticing the shy but approving look in his eyes. He blinked, shook his head and then took her hands in his again.  
“Little one, do your legs not give you the strength to hold yourself up? Do the lines not provide you with the knowledge that you have grown?” Thor shook his head again, slower this time. “Do you not see you as I see you? All this beauty and you see none of it?”   
Her mouth dropped open as she registered his last words. He squeezed her hands to make sure she was still breathing as a red tinge crept over her face.   
“I don’t see what you see,” she started, slowly. She took a deep breath before continuing. “But I’d like to.”   
It was Thor’s turn to look away. He swallowed and then spoke, looking her dead in the eye.   
“Would it be okay if I asked you to get coffee with me?”   
She looked away quickly, before peering back up through her eyelashes.   
“Like a date? Because my last one didn’t work out so well.”   
Her heart fluttered as she recalled the night before. She gave Thor a small smile. Another crack of thunder could be heard and he laughed; almost a bark and full of joy.   
“I would like to think that this one could be better, but that all depends on your answer.”   
“Well, yes, obviously,” she replied quickly. “How could I say no to the God of Thunder?”   
“Quite easily,” he chuckled, running his thumbs over the backs of her hands.   
It was quiet for a moment before he spoke again.   
“How does Thursday sound?”   
She gave an involuntary laugh at her luck and answered, “Thursday sounds great.”   
She could hear a vague crackle around her as he pressed his lips lightly to her cheek and left. He gave her a wave as he ducked into the lift, leaving her to stare into the open space like an idiot. Thursday was going to be fun.


End file.
